Heirs of the Dragon
by lilgulie5
Summary: A series of future fic one shots that look at Daenerys and Jon's life post season 8 and A Dream of Spring. Will be pretty fluffy and include their little Targlings as well as other characters from the show and books.
1. Heirs of the Dragon Timeline

**Heirs of the Dragon Timeline**

This fic is a compilation of my Jonerys future fic one shots. The more I wrote, the more I believed they should all be together somewhere. The fics are not in chronological order, but rather the order I originally posted them in: "Stallion of Stone", "The Stormborn", "Parting Gift", followed by newer fics. The very first chapter will be a timeline that I created for my future fics. To create this timeline I relied on dates from . More important timeline information regarding specific dates (or lack thereof) is included with that chapter.

Note: All of the "months" in this timeline are, of course, not the months used in the timelines of Westeros. They are merely placeholders and used in general to calculate time. Years are based on . Seasons as they know them in Westeros are independent from months. For instance, just because it's "January" doesn't mean it will always be cold. If Westeros is in the middle of a 3 year long summer, it would be mild to warm in areas such as King's Landing, hot in Dorne, and cooler at Winterfell.

 **1/300 AC-** Dany is queen of Meereen.

 **9/300 AC-** Dany arrives at Dragonstone

 **11/300 AC-** Jon arrives at Dragonstone. Jon and Daenerys meet.

 **4/301 AC-** Dany and Jon sail from Dragonstone to White Harbor. Conception of Prince Aemon.

 **5/301 AC-** Dany turned 17.

 **1/302 AC-** Prince Aemon is born at Winterfell. Night King is defeated. Winter Ends.

 **3/302 AC-** Coronation in the ruined Red Keep. Restoration of Red Keep and King's Landing begins.

 **5/302 AC-** Dany turns 18.

 **1/303 AC-** Aemon turns 1.

 **4/303 AC-** Maegor's Holdfast renovation complete. Royal family moves from Dragonstone to

MH.

 **8/403 AC-** _Parting Gift_

 **11/303 AC-** _The First Time I Saw You_

 **1/304 AC-** Aemon turns 2.

 **3/304 AC-** Princess Rhaenys is born in King's Landing.

 **7/306 AC-** _Stallions of Stone_

 **8/306 AC-** _The Stormborn_

 **9/306 AC-** Eddard born


	2. Stallion of Stone

**A/N: This is just a little future fic oneshot that came to me last week. It got stuck in my head and wouldn't leave so I had to write it. Please read and review! Thanks! -Katie**

"Hurry, Mama! Hurry!"

"Slow down, Aemon," Daenerys called to her eldest child as he dashed down the corridor, past the statues of the Targaryens of old. "Your sister and I can't move as fast as you can."

The queen watched as the prince stopped and turned around, his silver-blonde hair bouncing as he did so. His hair may have been given to him by his mother, but his grey eyes and patient smile he inherited from his father. Aemon had burst into the nursery with all of the exuberance of a four-year-old boy, his anxious Septa in town, and begged his mother to follow him.

"Where are we going?" she asked, setting two-year-old Rhaenys on her feet and pushing herself from the chair, a feat not easily accomplished as she was now in the seventh month of another pregnancy.

"To see the new statue!"

"The new statue?"

"Yes! Come on, Mama!" Aemon had said and practically tripped over his own feet as he ran out the door.

"What do you think, Rhae? Shall we follow your silly brother?"

"Yes!" the little girl exclaimed, her raven curls bobbing up and down and her violet eyes alight with excitement.

Aemon was quick, but not out of sight as Dany and Rhaenys struggled to keep up with him as they made their way through the Red Keep. Slowly but surely, the castle was returning to its former glory, the restoration going on its fourth year. The first year after the Great War ended, the Red Keep had been virtually uninhabitable after the major damage it sustained at the hands of Cersei Lannister. Dany and Jon had spent most of their days at Dragonstone, setting up a makeshift capital in order to deal with matters of state and traveled to King's Landing when necessary. Once Maegor's Holdfast had been completed, the Queen and King set up their permanent residence there and Rhaenys was the first of their children to be born there, her older brother being born at Winterfell at the end of the Long Night.

Dany watched as her son rounded a corner and made his way down a corridor lined with statues of their ancestors, for better and for worse. Dany and Jon had discussed removing statues of rulers like Maegor the Cruel, Aegon IV, and the Mad King, but decided to keep them, hoping the cold stone facade would prove to be a history lesson for their children and future Targaryens to come. Aemon, in particular, was coming to an age where he loved stories and would listen to tales of Starks and Targaryens alike. It was not unusual for Dany to find him either in the library with Maester Samwell or here in this very corridor with his Septa.

When she finally caught up with Aemon, he was standing in front of what was indeed a new statue that took Dany's breath away. Standing tall at the end of the long line of Targaryens was a magnificent stallion, hewn from solid rock. The plaque at the base read "Rhaego Targaryen: The Stallion Who Mounts the World."

"Mama, what does it say?" Aemon asked and his mother read the inscription aloud to him, her eyes swimming with tears.

"Who was Rhaego?"

For reasons unknown to her, Dany found herself unable to speak. She had talked at length with Jon about her time with the Dothraki. Her struggles, her triumphs, her mistakes, her losses. She laid them all bare before him and wept when she told him of the son she had never even held in her arms. He would have seen his eighth namesday by now.

"He was-," Dany said, her voice cracking with emotion and unable to continue.

"He was your older brother," a voice from behind her replied and she turned to find her husband walking up to join her and the children.

"Papa!" Rhaenys exclaimed and pulled free of Dany's hand to run to her father who had been away for just over a week on progress in the North. Jon lifted his daughter into his arms and ruffled a hand over his son's fair hair.

"I have an older brother?"

"You did. He died when he was just a baby," Jon explained carefully. "Even younger than your sister. But your Mama's Dothraki people called him the Stallion Who Mounts the World."

Aemon looked from his father back to the statue, studying it closely.

"I wish I knew him," the boy said thoughtfully.

"I wish so, too," Dany said, finding her voice once more. "I've dreamt of him and he's always very much like you."

"When I grow up, I want to have my statue next to his. Can I?"

"You can," Jon nodded, setting Rhaenys down. "Your Septa is waiting for you in the nursery with gifts from Aunt Sansa. Be a good brother and take your sister there. And don't run."

As Aemon took his sister's small hand in his and led her back down the corridor towards the nursery, Dany took a step towards her husband and slid her arms around her husband's waist.

"When did you get back?" she asked, reaching up to kiss him. "When did you do this?"

"To answer your first question, just now," Jon replied, dipping his head for another kiss. "To answer your second question, the sculptors have been working on this for quite some time."

"Jon, you have no idea what this means to me."

"Yes, I do. He's your son, Dany. He's a Targaryen, too."

"Thank you," she whispered holding him close.

"You're welcome," he replied. One of his hands slid down to smooth over the curve of her belly. "Sansa also sent a new blanket for this little one, too and sends her love as well."

"I wish I could have gone with you. It's been too long since I've been North to see either of your sisters."

"We've been busy trying to rebuild a country and you know Sansa enjoys coming down to the capital."

"Will she come for the birth?"

"Not sure," Jon said, twisting a lock of her hair between his fingers. "Let's retire for the afternoon. I missed my wife."

"As tempting as that is, there is a council meeting soon. Won't you join me?"

"That's not exactly what I had in mind, but of course I will."

"Thank you again, Jon. It's not always easy for me to look back on that time or to think of him, but I can't forget. It's a part of me. There's a way to look back, to remember that what happened and who I was then made me who I am today."

"You're welcome," he replied, kissing the side of her head. "How long do you think it will be before Aemon tries to climb up onto it?"

"Less than a day," Dany snorted, with a playful roll of her eyes. "He's probably running from his Septa now."

"The dragon who mounts a stallion," Jon mused. "What would the Dothraki call that?"

" _Gaezosi."_

"And what exactly does that mean?"

"Brothers."

 **Note: In this fic I made Rhaego about eight years old. This is based on a timeline I found that said only three years had passed from the events at the beginning of A Game of Thrones (297 AC) and when Dany becomes Queen of Meereen (300 AC). It's not always easy to tell how much time passes in each of the books so I did my best to guess for the remaining books we have.**


	3. The Stormborn

**A/N: This is another future fic oneshot from the same timeline as Stallion of Stone. I enjoyed writing about Jon and Dany's future children that I just had to write a little bit more. Please read and review! Thanks! -Katie**

"Will that be the last one for tonight, your Grace?" Missandei asked as Daenerys set down her quill.

"Yes, I think that's enough for one evening," Dany replied, sitting back in her chair and running her hands over her belly. "I know you think I'm working too late as it is. We're finished for the night."

"I would never presume to tell you how late you should work, your Grace."

"As my advisor you wouldn't. As my friend you most certainly would. That's why I value you."

The two women shared a warm smile. They had been through much together; grief, heartache, sorrow, happiness, and joy.

"Will you need my assistance tonight?"

"No, I think I'll stay here and read for a bit," Dany said as lightning flashed across the Gullet. "It looks like a storm's coming. I can smell it in the air."

"Don't stay up too late, Daenerys."

"Now you sound like me when I'm scolding Aemon."

"Well, he does get his stubbornness from his mother."

"I promise I will sleep. That is, as long as this one will let me," Dany said, pointing to her stomach. "I think their foot is currently wedged beneath my ribs. At least it feels that way."

"I'll have them send in some tea before I retire tonight. The kind that helps you relax."

"Thank you, Missandei. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."

After her friend and most trusted advisor left, Daenerys stood from her writing table and stretched out her sore back. Just because she had come to Dragonstone for her eventual confinement did not mean she left her duties behind her in KIng's Landing. Every day new missives, inquiries, and petitions arrived and every evening after she put Rhaenys and Aemon to bed she would go over everything with Missandei's help. In less than a week Jon would be joining her from his trip to the Iron Islands. Then, barring anything urgent, their family would remain there for the next month until the babe was born.

She hated when they were apart, but short and long absences alike were part of ruling a vast kingdom that was still rebuilding from years of war and neglect. She was glad to have someone to share the heavy burden of the crown. In many ways she had been naive, despite Tyrion's warning. Not everyone had welcomed the restoration of her dynasty, not everything was able to be solved with Valyrian steel and dragonfire. Four years after their coronation she was still learning that.

Dany stood at the open balcony in the Chamber of the Painted Table, the Map Room, as Aemon and Rhaenys called it, and closed her eyes as the warm salt air blew across her face. Far below her, fierce waves were pummelling the socks, warning of the storm brewing across the open water. Lightning flashed again, so bright she could see its light through her closed lids and she counted the seconds that passed until the low rumble of thunder echoed across the bay. _It's going to be a big one tonight,_ she thought with a smile. In just ten days she would celebrate her namesday, so a summer storm seemed more than appropriate.

 _Summer_ , Dany mused. Another reason she was glad to be on Dragonstone. The heat of King's Landing was different from the warmth of Essos. There, it was hot. In King's Landing it was sweltering, nearly oppressive at times and the large city seemed to stink with the heat. Dragonstone provided an escape from that as well. Here the breezes blew into the castle from the water in a way that did not happen in King's Landing. Here was the perfect place to welcome her summer child into the world.

Soon enough the rain began to fall and Dany retreated further into the Map Room, running her fingers across the great carved and painted map of her ancestor, Aegon Targaryen, on her way to the bookshelf. She selected a tome before settling back into her chair. The book was a familiar one, given to her as a wedding present by Ser Jorah. In all the years that had passed, she still never tired of the stories within. No sooner had she opened the book than a servant begged entrance to the chamber, carrying the tea Missandei had promised to request for her. She thanked them, took a sip of the steaming drink and returned to her reading, finally deciding on the early days of House Targaryen when Jaehaerys the Conciliator became king after the reign of Maegor the Cruel, and ruled with his wife, the good Queen Alyssane.

Dany propped her elbow on the table and cradled her head in her hand as she read. Before long her eyelids began to grow heavy, only to snap open again with each crack of thunder. Her head had dipped down again when she heard the faint sound of steel scraping across the stone floor.

"Mama?" a small voice said just before a clap of thunder so loud it shook the cup on her table echoed through the Map Room and jolted her awake. She blinked a few times to find her son standing before her, a small sword in his hand and a scared expression on his face.

"Aemon? What are you doing?" she asked, holding her hand out to beckon him towards her.

"The storm woke me up and...and…" His bottom lip quivered as he walked towards his mother and Dany could tell he was quite possibly on the verge of tears. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"And you were afraid?"

"No!" Aemon said quickly. "I'm not afraid! I came to protect _you_."

"Ahhhhh," Dany replied with a knowing smile. "That was very good of you. It's very late, Aem."

"I know, but after I woke up I could sleep anymore."

"And your sister didn't wake up?"

"Rhae can sleep through anything."

 _Her father's daughter_ , Dany thought with a wry smile.

"I was just about to retire for the night. Would you escort me to my chambers?"

"Yes, Mama!" Aemon said excitedly but Dany noticed him jump when the next flash of lightning lit up the room.

Daenerys took one last sip of her tea and shifted herself out of her chair. Her body felt heavy with fatigue and she could not wait to sink into her soft bed and let sleep wash over her. First, however, there was a little prince too proud to say he was afraid of the thunder who needed his mother. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it three times and waited for his little hand to squeeze back four times. It was a little code between the two of them, a secret message. Three squeezes meant _I love you_. Four squeezes in return meant _I love you, too_.

"Lead the way, Aemon," Dany said and her son led her from the Map Room to her bedchamber.

"You have a visitor tonight, your Grace?" Ser Barristan asked from his post at the door to Daenerys's chamber.

"Indeed," his queen replied. "It appears I have an extra Queensguard tonight."

Aemon walked into his mother's bedchamber and laid his sword against a chair. He climbed up onto the tall bed and watched Dany expectantly.

"Stay right there and I'll be back," she instructed, moving behind the changing screen in the far corner of her room to shrug out of her gown and into a deep greyish blue nightgown.

The bedroom was dark, save for a few sputtering candles and the occasional flash of lightning. Aemon looked so small in the middle of the huge bed and when she climbed on he immediately settled himself beside her resting his head on her chest and a hand on her belly. She wrapped an arm around him and brought him in close.

"That's much better," she said, nuzzling his soft, silver-blonde hair. It was long now and messy about his face. He typically wore it half-up. _Like Father wears it,_ he often said with pride. Now it was loose and wild from sleep.

"Better," he echoed his mother and glanced up at her. "Story?"

Daenerys nodded and hummed for a moment before she began her tale.

"Do you know why they call me _Stormborn_?" she asked.

"Because you were born during one of the worst storms."

"That's right. You were born during a terrible storm as well."

"I was?"

"Yes, but you were born during a great Winter storm. One of the worst, even the Northerners agree. I was staying at Winterfell and your father was at Castle Black preparing to seek out the Night King and defeat him. That's a very long way from Winterfell, but he promised me that he would be there when you were born."

"Did he keep his promise?" Aemon asked, already knowing the answer for he had heard the story before, but it was one of his favorites.

"He did. He must have known it was close to the time for you to be born. Now, how he and Rhaegal made it through the storm I will _never_ know, but he was there at Winterfell when you were placed into my arms, all red faced and screaming and wailing. That very night, the storm died down and from that night on there has never been such a storm like that anywhere in Westeros. Some say that the night you were born was the beginning of the end of the Long Night."

Aemon was quietly for a very long time and Dany thought he had fallen asleep, knowing that he was finally safe from the storm within his mother's embrace.

"Mama?" his little voice asked in the dimly lit room.

"Yes, Aem?"

"I told a lie."

"You did?"

Aemon nodded against her breast and heaved a sigh. "I was afraid of the storm."

"Why didn't you just say so?"

"Because if I want to be brave, I can't be afraid."

"Oh my love," Dany said, shifting her son so that he was sitting up and facing her. "People aren't brave because they're not afraid. People are brave because they carry on despite their fear. I was told that your grandfather Ned used to say that the only time a man can be brave is when he's afraid."

"Really?"

"Yes. Are you still afraid now?"

"No. Because you're here, Mama."

"No, Aemon. You're not unafraid just because I'm here. You're unafraid because we're here together."

"Do I have to go back to my bed now?"

"Not tonight, Aemon," Dany said, hugging him and holding his close again. "Stay right here with me."


	4. Parting Gift

She watched as he climbed from the bed, naked as the day he was born and admired his form. Part of her wanted nothing more than to pull him back into their bed, but she knew they had more important things to do this morning. _Always duty first,_ she thought as her husband washed his face and began to dress. Soon enough he would leave for Lannisport on a diplomatic mission to visit the newly appointed Warden of the West, Jaime Lannister. She was reluctant to send him away. They had only recently settled into the newly remodeled Maegor's Holdfast in the Red Keep. A sense of normalcy had finally descended onto their family and now all of that was being disrupted again.

It had been a trying year and a half in their makeshift capital at Dragonstone. Truth be told they had spent more of it apart than Daenerys would have liked or expected, but it was necessary. Truly, she was grateful to have Jon at her side. He could travel to the far reaches of the realm while she worked with Tyrion to restore some semblance of a reasonable government to Westeros. Many times she spent long days in King's Landing, overseeing plans for the rebuilding of the capital and the Red Keep. It was a struggle to be away from her young son for so long. Aemon would be two before the year was over and there were moments when she would rather spend an entire day with him than with politicians and courtiers.

"I don't want you to leave," Daenerys said, sitting up in bed and pulling the silk sheets up to cover herself.

"It was your idea that I go to Lannisport to begin with," Jon replied, buttoning up his breeches and returning to her bedside.

"What was I thinking?"

"I blame Tyrion. He's trying to pass on more of his, what was it...ancient wisdom?"

"Ah yes," Dany laughed. "What's the saying? The king shits and the hand wipes? Definitely his fault."

"I'll only be gone for as long as I need to be."

"That's too long already."

"What's this?" Jon asked. He sat down beside her and rested his hand on her hip, kneading it gently. "You're not always like this when I leave. Something's wrong."

"Not wrong…" she replied carefully.

 _He knows me too well,_ Dany thought. _Sometimes better than I know myself._ Jon had that way about him. Even from the time they first met, he could see through the clutter of names and titles and see Dany for who she really was. It was a change to be trusted, admired, and eventually loved for her deeds, for her quirks, even for her shortcomings rather than pandered to by potential lovers, suitors, and beaurecrats looking to benefit from her power.

Loving Jon Snow was surprisingly easy. So easy that it scared her. There was no duplicity in him. No hidden agenda. He was straight forward, blunt, honest, but also humble and loyal to a fault. When he arrived at Dragonstone everyone thought he was Ned Stark's bastard son, but she did not care about that then and it mattered even less now. He arrived as the King in the North, his actions proved him to be worthy of that title and so why would she treat him as anything less?

If prophecies were to be believed, perhaps they were fated long ago to find one another. Dany believed in destiny. She believed she was destined to unite and rule the Seven Kingdoms and she believed that even if they were on the other ends of the world she would have found Jon Snow. He tempered her more impulsive urges and she helped him see that he was not alone in the world. No battle, physical or emotional, needed to be fought alone. The Targaryen dynasty had been restored, but there was still much to do to repair the damage it had sustained over the decades. They approached all matters as equals. They were crowned together, they ruled _together_.

"Not wrong," Jon conceded, holding her gaze. "But there _is_ something isn't there?"

"I hate it when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Look at me as if you're trying to read my mind."

"Well what am I supposed to do when you won't tell me exactly what is going on?"

His nostrils flared and his lips pursed a bit. He was getting a little more agitated than Dany had originally intended for him to be. When he looked at her like that it was easy to forget all of the weight that was placed upon their shoulders.

"When you get back we're going to have to start thinking of names," Dany said, reaching for his free hand and playing with his fingers.

"Names?" Jon asked almost incredulously.

"Names," she said more pointedly and nodded. "Maybe even girl names this time around."

"Oh!" her husband gasped and a light danced in his eyes. "Names! You're absolutely certain?"

"I am. The maester confirmed it the other day. I was looking for the right time to tell you."

"Thank the gods you told me before I left. This is the best news!" Jon exclaimed and pulled Dany into his arms, kissing her hair, her shoulder, her neck and her lips. "You said girls' names. Do you know it will be a girl?"

"No," Daenerys laughed. "It's just a hope. Would a princess make my king happy?"

"Either would make me happy, but a little girl running through the Red Keep who looks like her mother? I think I would like that."

"Aemon already has my hair. I want a daughter with your dark curls."

"Alright, my hair, but your eyes."

"That's a fair compromise."

Jon bent his head and kissed Daenerys, long and sweet, causing her to let out a reluctant moan when he pulled away.

"Shall we keep this news a secret until I return or shall we send out ravens with the announcement?"

"Let's send them out now. I won't have people thinking I've let myself go while you're away."

"I'll go and tell the maesters now. Join me for breakfast before I leave?"

"Of course. I'll have Missandei bring Aemon and we'll meet you in the hall."

"Perfect," he kissed her quickly for good measure and threw on a shirt and surcoat as he headed to embark on his task at hand. "You're a wise woman, my Queen. Sending me off with the best parting gift that will make me fly back here as soon as possible."

"I don't know if I'm wise or selfish," Daenerys quipped. "Maybe I just want you all to myself."

"Either works for me, Dany," Jon smiled and closed the large red door to their bedchamber behind him.


	5. The First Time I Saw Your Face

"There you are," Jon said, walking into Aemon's bedchamber. His nearly two-year-old son was fast asleep against his mother's chest.

"Looking for me?" Daenerys asked, her voice hushed as she ran her fingers through her son's silver-blonde curls and rocked gently in her chair.

Aemon Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, was just shy of his second birthday and by all accounts very close to his mother. While it was clear the child loved his father dearly he and Dany shared a special bond. She was especially protective of him. How could she not be when he was the living embodiment of her greatest dream, one which she believed for so long would never become a reality. His birth had been a miracle, of that she was sure, and no one could have told her otherwise. He was born at Winterfell and it was said that the very night of his birth was the beginning of the thaw and the end of the second Long Night. The perfect combination of Houses Targaryen and Stark, his shock of silver hair was paired with his father's steel-grey eyes and he seemed thoughtful, pensive, even for a child of such a young age. It was a trait Dany was sure he inherited from his father.

"It's just late and you weren't in our rooms."

"He fell asleep on me about an hour ago."

"He does that on purpose, you know," Jon pointed out, motioning to Aemon.

"I know," Dany said. She kissed the top of his head. "And I'm going to let him because he won't be this little for long and he won't have me to himself for long either."

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

"Have you forgotten what today is?"

"Of course not. How could I forget the day an arrogant northerner walked into my throne room?"

"Arrogant? I prefer _self assured_."

Dany laughed and shook her head as she recalled the day she first met her husband three years ago. It seemed like a lifetime ago. It was risky to invite the Northerners to bend the knee and she had no real reason to put trust in Melissandre, but Tyrion vouched for him and that was good enough for her. She was glad it was something her hand had been right about.

"Let's put him to bed," Jon motioned their son. "So that _we_ can go to bed."

XXXXX

"Why is it called that?" Dany wondered aloud, cradling Jon's head to her breast as they lie tangled in the bed linen.

"Called what?"

"The lord's kiss."

"I don't know," Jon laughed. "I didn't make it up. She called it that. Maybe it's something Wildling's say. Ask Tormund next time you talk to him."

There was no mistaking who the _she_ was that Jon mentioned. Gone were the days when the queen would flinch at the reference to his former lover. Ygritte was dead and Dany would not let herself be haunted by the Wildling Jon had once loved. Now, he could mention her name and she could mention Drogo freely. They were both part of the fabric of their pasts, inexorably woven together however right or wrong it had been at the time. Hindsight allowed both of them a clearer view of the past. Though Drogo and Ygritte occasionally slipped into conversation no one ever mentioned Daario Narahis much.

"No thank you. I suppose you just perfected it then."

"How would you know if I had, hmmm?" He propped himself up on his elbow and raised an eyebrow in question. "Thought you said I was the first to do that to you."

"Oh you were. Without question, but you never do anything halfway, my love. And I can't imagine anyone doing it better."

"Well, you've got many _talents_ as well. We make a good pair."

"I certainly think so."

"You're showing more," Jon murmured, pressing his lips against the taut curve of Dany's stomach.

"I hear that happens as the pregnancy wears on," she quipped, shivering at the feel of his beard across her skin.

"You know what I mean. It seems sooner than with Aemon."

"The midwife says that happens sometimes with the second child. And it's not as if I had all of the delicious food I have here at my beck and call up at Winterfell. Your daughter has a sweet tooth."

"Still think it's a girl?"

Dany was not sure what fueled her suspicion that the baby she carried was a girl. Missandei called it her motherly intuition, but Dany simply _felt_ different. Her pregnancy with Aemon had been surreal, plagued by war, fear, and uncertainties. Young mothers normally concerned themselves with preparing the child's room, Dany had prepared for war, had wondered if she would even live to see her son born. Then there were the constant thoughts that it would all end the same way it had before. That she would lose him like she lost Rhaego.

Now, secure in her reign, her marriage, and knowing she could bear a living, healthy child, Dany could enjoy her pregnancy more. She let Jon spoil her and allowed herself the luxury of being pampered.

"Mmm," Dany agreed. "For now anyway."

"Do you feel different?"

"Different? I suppose so. I was sicker this time."

"Never thought I'd have one child, let alone two."

"I'm so very glad you walked into my throne room, my King. What did you think the first time you saw me."

"You know the answer to that."

"Tell me again. Please?"

Jon sighed and kissed his way back up to Dany's lips. "You were prettier than I expected. Younger than I expected and more stubborn, too. You seemed larger than life up on that throne and then you walked towards me and I noticed…"

"Noticed what?"

"You were rather short. After Missandei listed all of your titles I wondered how this relatively small young woman could have accomplished so much. And then you started talking and I knew. You had conviction. You _have_ it, I mean. That hasn't gone away."

"I watched you arrive on the beach, you know. From the Map Room I could see your ship rowing in. To be fair, you were just slightly shorter than I would have expected as well. _The King in the North_ , whatever that meant. The son of a man I thought was the enemy. You both captivated and infuriated me. If Varys hadn't have come in to tell me of the Greyjoy defeat I might have sent you away then and there. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed."

"Fortunately," Jon nodded in agreement and kissed her again, deeper and more slowly this time. "I had some dreams about you on Dragonstone, you know."

"What kind of dream?"

"Dreams of the things I wanted to do to you, where I wanted to do them…"

"Jon Snow," Dany whispered against his ear, playfully tugging on his lobe."When did those start?"

"Probably just before the cave. When you said you'd fight for the North if I bent the knee. I damn near did it, too. Nearly kissed you right then and there."

"I wish you would have. There were many lonely nights that I thought of you."

"Took me awhile to work up the courage, honestly. I'd fought Wildlings and Walkers but it took everything I had to knock on your cabin door that night."

"The next morning I was so worried you'd just want to forget about it, that it wouldn't have meant as much to you as it did to me. I should've known better. You were seared into my very soul that night, Jon."

"And you into mine, Dany," Jon agreed reverently. "When the whole world was falling apart, you gave me life, you gave me hope."

A tear slipped down Dany's cheek and Jon smiled and brushed it away with the pad of his thumb.

"No tears now, love."

"Happy tears, I promise. The happiest. I can't help it."

"Well in that case, I suppose it's alright. It's getting late and the Dornish envoy should be arriving tomorrow."

"I'm not tired yet," Dany lied.

"You always say that. You're as bad as Aemon is. Won't go to sleep even when you're tired."

Despite her protest Daenerys tucked her head under Jon's chin and wrapped her arms around his waist. Sleep was no longer as stranger as it had been when they had first met one another. How many sleepless nights had Dany spent worrying about Jon, and _everything._ The promise that she would be able to wake up next to him in the morning and for many mornings to come helped sleep easily find her eyes and she drifted off into a peaceful, undisturbed slumber.


	6. The White Raven

Daenerys blinked open her eyes and shivered in annoyance. It felt like she had _finally_ just fallen asleep after tossing and turning for hour after uncomfortable hour. Sunlight was already seeping through the curtains, but she hoped she could still steal at least another hour of much needed rest. Both Sam and the midwife had confirmed that her third child would be born within the next two weeks, but Dany wished the child was already there.

"Jon," she called in a hushed tone that sounded more like a whine than she intended. "Fetch another blanket, I'm cold."

No answer came from her husband's side of the bed and when she glanced over her shoulder she found the bed empty.

"Jon?" she called once again, thinking he might be somewhere in the chamber. When she still did not hear him reply she reached over and pulled his side of the covers over her body and fell back to sleep.

XXXXX

"Do you know how long you'll remain here on Dragonstone, Your grace?" Tyrion asked as Dany paced back and forth while reading over the crown expenditures he had brought with him from King's Landing.

"Most likely another month," she replied, setting the document on a stack of others. She poured a glass of wine and offered it to her hand. "Why? Is there a reason for me to come back sooner?"

"Merely curiosity. The people will be anxious to greet their knew prince or princess."

"As am I. Not much longer now, the-"

"Mama! Did you see?" Aemon burst into the room, a ball of energy.

"Aem, what did I tell you?" Jon said, close on his heels.

"That I should knock first?"

"And did you?"

The four-year-old began to nod before reluctantly dropping his head and shaking it.

"No, but she's _my_ Mama!"

"And I'm _everyone's_ queen," Dany finished gently. "Say hello to Lord Tyrion, my love and then tell me what has you so excited."

Try as she might, Dany found it difficult to be upset with her son. She and Jon both believed in teaching him manners and how to be polite, but as weary as she was of late, the sight of her first-born did wonders to warm her heart. It was impossible to stay angry with him for long. Perhaps she spoiled him more than she should, but she had every reason to. There had been a time when she thought having a child to spoil was only a distant dream. Now that it was a reality- soon to be three times over- she found herself to be the more indulgent parent. Their children were only little for so long and she was wont to deny them the childhood that had been denied to her.

"Good afternoon, Lord Tyrion," Aemon said dutifully before turning his attention back to his mother. Did you see it?"

"See what?"

"The white raven!"

"White raven…"

"It arrived from the Citadel today," Jon confirmed, decidedly less excited than his son.

""Then Autumn is here," Dany sighed.

"Which can only mean," Tyrion began.

"Yes, Winter is coming."

"You Starks are always right eventually."

"Aemon, will you bring your little sister here? And when you get back we three will play something together." Dany waited for her son to leave before she turned to regard her husband and her hand. "We knew Summer couldn't last forever, yes?"

"Of course," Tyrion replied. "It lasted nearly five years. There's not telling how long Autumn will last either."

"I don't want people to panic."

"They won't," Jon assured her.

"You don't know that. The last time we saw Winter is still fresh in everyone's mind, especially mine. Parents lost their children to that Winter and to the dead."

"That won't happen this time. The White Walkers are gone."

"There's more to worry about in Winter than White Walkers now. Last Winter was short compared to some Westeros have seen. I was born during a Winter. Some people suffer from famine in times of Winter, Snow."

Dany knew that Tyrion was right. When the Night King was defeated, Winter did not end in the blink of an eye. It ebbed away slowly like a receding wave from a shoreline. Days grew longer and warmer, nights were shorter. Gradually, the ground began to thaw, first in the south and then lastly in the North. Dorne lost many of its olive and lemon orchards. They were only now beginning to reap a good harvest and Dany hoped the winter would be brief and mild in the southron most areas of Westeros.

"But we've _been_ preparing for this, correct?" Dany asked.

"Of course, Your grace. But War takes a hard toll on farming. Still, provisions have been set aside. We also might get lucky and have a long Autumn with bountiful harvests."

"Better not to rely on that, just to be safe. We can trade with Meereen if need be as well."

"Very wise."

"When you come next week bring me a report on the grainaries. I want to look over the numbers."

"Will that be all, Your grace?"

"See if you can have the goldcloaks gather some public opinion from around King's Landing. If anything else comes up I'll send word."

Tyrion finished his cup, collected his documents into his leather satchel and bowed, leaving Dany hugging herself and casting a sideways glance at her husband.

"Don't look at me like that, Jon."

"Like what?"

"Like you think I'm working too hard."

"What did Sam say?" Jon asked.

"He didn't forbid me from working."

"Not what I asked. What did he say?"

"I'll need to know how much grain we have stored up around Westeros. Shall we send your sisters ravens as well? One to Winterfell and one to Storm's End?"

"Daenerys," Jon said firmly, turning her by the shoulder to face him. "I'm asking you what Sam said."

"That it could be any day now."

"Right. _Any_ day now. Could be today. Could be tomorrow."

"It's not," Dany scroffed with a wave of her hand. "I'd know if the baby was coming today."

"Why is it too much to ask that you take it easy?"

"It's not too much to ask but-"

"Everything before the word _but_ is horseshit."

"Do you kiss your queen with that mouth?"

"Aye," Jon smiled. "And I haven't heard her complain much about it."

"I promise you that I will lie down to rest when Rhaenys and Aemon do."

"And?"

"And what?"

"You won't work too much until after the babe is here."

"Fine. Maybe _you'll_ have to meet with Tyrion next week if I've had the baby before he gets here."

"That's unkind."

"You like Tyrion," Dany pointed out.

"Yes but-"

"And you've been on diplomatic missions for me."

"I know, but…"

"But?" Dany waited expectantly. "I thought you just said everything before the word _but_ is horseshit."

"You've more patience for him than I do sometimes. I'd rather just hear the condensed versions of his reports from you. He can be...long winded at times. Especially when he's been in the wine."

"I'm not commanding you to do this as your queen. I'm asking you to do this as your wife."

"You know I'll do it either way," Jon replied, brushing his knuckles over her belly. "But with a little bit of luck, the little one will arrive _after_ Tyrion's next visit."

XXXXX

"How is it that luck always seems to be on your side, Jon Snow?" an exhausted Dany asked as she leaned against him, their newborn son quietly nursing in her arms. He had come into the world with less fuss and less difficulty than his older brother. His grey eyes were large and wondering from the first moment Dany gazed and him and he cried so little that at first she had been afraid something was wrong, though now it seemed to just be his nature.

"Must have some gods on my side."

"He came less than twelve hours after my meeting with Tyrion."

"Aye," Jon nodded, his finger gliding over the baby's soft dark hair.

Whereas his siblings were a mix of both parents, the newest Targaryen prince already looked like a Stark. Perhaps one day, when he was older, he would be fostered at Winterfell, but Jon did not dare bring that up now. He had made the mistake of mentioning it to Dany once before when Aemon was still just a babe and she had refused to discuss the matter, had refused to even entertain the thought of being apart from her children for months or even years at a time. He knew it was not a tradition she had been familiar with and knew that growing up away from all family except her half-mad brother had made Dany especially hesitant to think about sending their children away.

"He needs a name," Dany said, adjusting her shift when the child had finished nursing. "But I think only one will suit him."

"Oh?"

"He looks like you. He came just after we found out Autumn was here and that Winter is not far behind. We didn't have a name chosen ahead of time. It was chosen for us. You know what to name our son, Jon."

"Welcome to the world, Eddard. We'll call you Ned for short. A short name in honor of a great man."


End file.
